Taking over All of the Land

By: Chris Greacen - 08/09/2024
In the late stage of the pandemic, I was looking for ways that Doubleplus Alright could play a show. Our extended band-family was contending with compromised immunity, essential healthcare employment, and a general desire to avoid getting covid. There weren't too many venues hosting shows at that point so there weren't many options.

Eventually I came across a guy who installed a solar charger and batteries in his van in order to host outdoor shows on a beach in Berkeley right on the SF Bay. He booked about 6 bands on occasional Saturday afternoons and he called it Solar Van Saturdays.

I went to a couple Solar Van Saturday shows. I met the bands, I met their fans, and I met Lee. Lee is also the lead singer of his band Elegant Trash who plays every one of these shows.

Doubleplus Played a couple of the Solar Van shows as well as helping Lee to bring his regular festival to the Baltic Kiss club in Richmond. (Note: we're playing Sunday evening 8/18/2024, be there!).

At some point along the line I got to know everyone in Elegant Trash and learned a little about what they were working on - more recordings, a world tour (Brazil in 2024!), as well as balancing this with the rest of their life.

As it turned out, I have some of the skills that the band needed to get unblocked with their recording. I saw a chance to pitch in and help with some of the recording and mixing of Elegant Trash's next record and jumped on it.

It's out TODAY. Check out Taking over All of the Land on Spotify:

I'm really psyched about how this came out and how it represents the band at this stage. If you're curious, I'd love to tell you (or show you) all about it - how it was recorded, how we mixed it.